Shirley Maxine (Hershberger) Swartzendruber
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3C - June 20, 2021
Shirley Maxine
Swartzendruber
August 28, 1927 - June 10, 2021
Shirley Maxine
Swartzendruber passed away,
peacefully, June 10, 2021, with
husband, Leo, and son, Jim, by
her side.
She was born to Paul and
Nettie Hershberger in Milford,
Nebraska, in 1927. The family
moved to a farm near Kalona,
Iowa, during the Dust Bowl days and the 1930’s, to be closer to
Nettie’s family. Shirley loved farm life, especially the animals. She
was a lover of animals her entire life.
Shirley met Leo at a Mennonite gathering in Iowa in 1944. Both
families were devout Mennonites and social functions were about
the only times to meet new people. They planned to marry in June
of 1946, but Leo was drafted in April of 1946. Since he was a
Mennonite, and one of the “peace churches”, he was allowed to do
public service instead of going to the Army. He was assigned to a
conservation camp outside Ft. Collins, CO. He was given leave in
June, and they were married on June 26, 1946. Shirley went back
to Ft. Collins with Leo until the camp closed, and then they were
assigned to service in Puerto Rico. After completing his service,
Leo and Shirley returned to Iowa where their four sons were born.
Leo was asked to return to Puerto Rico in 1955, so Shirley took
their four young children and returned to Puerto Rico. Although
their time in Puerto Rico was difficult, they had many fond
memories. They returned to Iowa. Shirley had again come back
to the farm life that she loved but in 1958, the family moved to
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where Leo was offered a job at the
hospital. He later became the hospital administrator. Shirley raised
her boys in Glenwood and was “Mama Swartz” to the hundreds
of school children she fed as a cook at Glenwood Junior High and
High School.
She loved antiques. She knew what to look for at yard sales;
beautiful things that she enjoyed displaying in her home and selling
to others. She made many life-long friends through her “antiquing”.
Although she loved antiques, her main love was her family and
her wide circle of friends. Shirley’s kitchen always had room for
the boys’ friends. Going to their sporting events was the highlight
of her life. She was a devoted wife and mother, a companion who
loved life and lived it the fullest.
She is survived by her husband of 75 years, Leo; son, Jim
(Adrian), of Silt; son, Steve (Cindy), of Paonia, and son, Jon
(Sherell), of Loveland; ten grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren;
sister, Glennis, of Arvada, and several nieces and nephews. She
was preceded in death by son, Dan; her parents, Paul and Nettie,
and brother, Bernard.
A memorial service will be held at a later date
